2008-12-17

2008-12-16

Come on, you knew it had to be...Harmonica, trumpets, wailing songs and fast ones too...They spelled their entire fifteen letter name in one song...They even had two people sing the same damn songs on recordings: GB Start Today.

This record was so good that people just pretended that CIV never put out that last record (you know the ONE). This record emits pure positivity, energy and a feeling that is simply hardcore. When the trumpets play, you get those chills and you know every word.

Their Cleveland reunion show was where Cheap Tragedies is rumored to have been formed by a so-happy-he-almost-broke-his-jaw-smiling Jeff G and a blissfully boyish edgeman. I'm also told that tour brought more old men out of stage dive retirement than copies sold of the Old Smoke record. Just look at how happy the video is making all those Euros! Outstanding!

Close but no GB: Go It Alone: Vancouver Gold, Get Up Kids: Four Minute Mile, Get the Most: Core Values Demo, Gin Blossoms: New Miserable Experience (fuck you guys, that record ruled when I was seven), Grey Area: Fanbelt Algebra (Members of Warzone and Token Entry, don't sleep on it), Good Riddance: Ballads from the Revolution,

2008-12-13

Floorpunch: Division One Champs/Goal Line Stand (Yeah it's two records, but still...)

The fact that Right Idea's demo was first distributed at the FP reunion says a lot. Intro. Changes. Ya know what I mean? Millin and Hesser have stories that go beyond my time, maybe they'll post an FP part II?

The tentative runner-up is Farside's The Monroe Doctrine:

The Monroe Doctrine was post-hardcore when people played guitars and hooks and sang about normal shit rather than becoming fixated on aesthetics and sub-clicks like today's post-hardcore morphologies. Millin should have a story or two on this as well. My only story is this: great fucking record.

2008-12-09

Ok, so this band contains a bunch of whining little man-boys of questionable sexual preference. They've been the butt of jokes, the cause of a scene skirmish or 2, and blasphemous in the name of our F band to follow (not like I'm giving away anything here -- as if there was any doubt). Kids used to cry at their shows. Seriously. Girls would crowd the stage, and the fellas would play sans-shoes.

And if that's not enough, on more than one occasion they burned their bridges with Cleveland hardcore*

* The story was that Rob Pennington said that Endpoint would never ever do a reunion. That is, unless One Life Crew was playing. Only then would these boys reunite -- and not to share the stage with the Clevo str-hate edgers -- they would play at a competing show to make sure there would be more tonnage on stage than in the crowd at the OLC show.

So how does Catharsis then outstage the OG purveyors of Vegan Edge or the melodic saviors of a scene? Longevity, purpose, and message. This record is more than significant -- it's urgent, hard, catchy, and sing-along-able. Excuse the horrible guitar tone, and recognize more chug and quick parts (even a wailing solo or 2). Call and response vocals, intense imagery and a pissed off attitude. Forget scene politics: Endpoint introduced the body-politic into the hardcore scene. This was important. This is still an important record.

Bonus points for the photo in the insert of the reissue showcasing Pat McClimons rocking a handmade "Erba Rulz" t-shirt (there's a hooded version visable on a crowd member in the cover shot -- see above). Oh, that and the OG Raw Deal T-shirt Rob Point was wearing at the actual factual reunion (which incidentally had nothing to do with OLC) set at the "last" BTGOG show.

Oh, and don't forget they also made the little record called In a Time of Hate at a small studio called Mars, with a certain crazy man named Bill Korecky. The stories he and Erba tell of Duncan and Rob are "entertaining" (to say the least).

2008-12-05

The Dead Boys preceded most hardcore/punk bands excluding Iggy and the Stooges, The Ramones, The Clash, The Sex Pistols, The NY Dolls and a slew of lesser known but equally rad late 70's bands.

They sang about simple things with simple riffs, much like contemporary hardcore, except they knew how to write a hook. I think the guitar work, solo-wise was better than the Ramones and they had more songs about banging and underage chicks than their counterparts of the era. The songs are classic rock-and-roll, perfect for a bike-ride or cruise to the Clif's new record store.

They also came from Youngstown before doing Cleveland and then New York. You can tell they're from NE Ohio because the moves illustrated below were taught to Millin early in his 'core guitaring career. Also note that the fashion of the current middle-class white boy paradigm did not originate on Coventry in 2005, but on Coventry in 1975.

2008-12-04

This record slays. Period. It also has the best hardcore song of the era on it: Against the World. The joint is like a minute long and it has 800 plays on my itunes. I air drum so hard to it that I nearly separate both shoulders. The guitar work was melodic, but most songs were fast and the drums made every song hard. Pissed vocals and a superb recording make this my preferred CMO record over 110 (sorry Bubs).

2008-12-03

Bad Brains S/T. The self-titled record is nothing shy of amazing. All their stuff is stellar minus the soul brains tours of recent years. Ask Spencer and Garrett Trash Talk about substances that HR does back stage to this day. While you're at it ask them about their trip down Kinsman and up to the Rock and Roll HOF. Then buy their new record...it sounds like this picture of HR I borrowed from :30 under DC: outstanding.

So I got my hands on the new Kanye disc today. I was a little apprehensive about givin' it a listen, just because he's Kanye amongst other things, but the two singles on the radio are pretty catchy i must admit. and his performances as of late have been pretty dope (AMA's and Conan). So I'm driving listening, I give it a chucky chuck rating of an OKAY. Some.. well the majority of the tracks are super club. Even tho the disc as a whole has a "i'm sad and im trying to make you dance in a chi town club with hot girls half naked drinkin' a Heineken theme and sound. The 808 is in full effect. Don't let the title of this record trick you. haha. not funny, Anyway track 10 WILL be the next jam that makes that dude millions. Yall heard it from me first. AND it doesnt hurt that my man weezy is on that one as well. (tickets on sale friday)((yo how can i get free tix))(((hook it up)))((((i need like ten!)))) back to the review. This isnt really a review. I just cant do my homework anymore and im taking a break. As far as the art work, im into it. KAWS is the artist and that dude has been killing it in the men's streetwear scene for a while. he has stuff for comme des garcon, original fake, he might of did a colab with vans a while back, not sure. awesome dude and glad he is hitting it big. Ill get to my assignment of letter D band soon, promise. Q tip is playing the house of blues thursday then me and rob and willy are hitting the clubs on w 6th. our boy pantso's babe nikki is throwing a party at ultra..... DANCE.